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Political Animal
January 2012 Archives
I suspect most readers saw the news yesterday, but just in case, this is my very last post here at the Washington Monthly. I'll start my new gig at MSNBC...
When we were first creating the Political Animal blog on this site a decade ago, my first choice to fill it was the only blogger I personally knew, someone who...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Bernanke looks ahead: "The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it was likely to raise interest rates at the end of 2014, but not...
House Republicans, both the leadership and rank-and-file members, are not unaware of their circumstances. After massive wins in the 2010 midterms, GOP officials started 2011 with high hopes. Things haven't...
Media Matters has, on more than one occasion, documented the extent to which Sunday morning shows rely heavily on Republican guests. This week, Roll Call took a crack at it,...
To get an edge in advance of Florida's Republican presidential primary, Mitt Romney has gone after Newt Gingrich this week on his ties to Freddie Mac. At first blush, it's...
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) not only believes his caucus will keep its majority in the next Congress, but told Politico yesterday he expects the Republican House majority to last...
Probably the biggest surprise in Mitt Romney's limited tax-return disclosure was the revelation about a Swiss bank account. Given the bigger picture -- including Romney's cash in the Cayman Islands...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll...
On the surface, there are all kinds of intimidating challenges facing the country. Just below the surface, there are deep partisan and ideological divisions, fueled in part by Republicans' refusal...
It's only been about 12 hours since the State of the Union address wrapped up, so it's too early to get a complete picture of how it resonated with the...
In his State of the Union address, President Obama noted an important observation that Americans may not be aware of: "In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than...
When President Obama entered the House chamber last night to deliver the State of the Union, he stopped briefly to tell Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, "Leon. Good job tonight. Good...
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels delivered the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address, to the delight of GOP insiders who still hope he might run for president....
If President Obama's State of the Union address was intended as a bookend to the December speech he delivered in Osawatomie, Kansas, it was a success. It was in Osawatomie...
In about 20 minutes, President Obama will head to the floor of the House chamber to deliver his 2012 State of the Union address. I'll have plenty of thoughts in...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Europe: "Euro zone finance ministers on Monday rejected as insufficient an offer made by private bondholders to help restructure Greece's debts, sending negotiators back...
President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address tonight and will reportedly unveil a new slogan: "win the future" is out; "built to last" is in. One of...
As part of a symbolic gesture, more than 180 members of Congress have reportedly committed to having a seatmate from the other party at the State of the Union address....
Over the weekend, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) described President Obama's State of the Union address, which he had not heard, as "pathetic." Today, Boehner pushed the rhetorical envelope a...
As recently as Jan. 15 -- nine days ago -- Gallup's daily tracking poll showed Mitt Romney leading Newt Gingrich by 23 points. In fact, a day earlier, Gallup showed...
The only thing that bothers me more than Mitt Romney's falsehoods is when Romney repeats the falsehoods after they've been proven untrue. In last night's debate, the former governor, who's...
I have some news to share: after three-and-a-half years at the Washington Monthly, I'm moving on. My last post will be tomorrow and I'll start my new career at MSNBC...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In Florida, a new survey from...
A couple of months ago, Romney campaign spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom was asked what a Romney administration would do with undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. Fehrnstrom said Romney...
We talked over the weekend about Mitt Romney's "likability problem" -- the more voters see him, the less popular he becomes. As the campaign progresses, this appears to be getting...
Republican voters, activists, leaders, and pundits are all coming to the same realization: in November, either Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich will be the GOP nominee against President Obama. And...
At least in theory, Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann represent very different elements of the Republican Party. When the former is echoing the strange arguments of the latter, there's a...
Mitt Romney's campaign, as promised, released the former governor's 2010 tax returns, as well as an estimate for his 2011 returns, and we're starting to get a sense of why...
Last night's debate for the remaining presidential candidates offered Mitt Romney a chance to try to turn his campaign around. He hasn't had much luck lately, and confidence in his...
In about an hour, NBC will host the latest in a seemingly-endless stream of debates for the four remaining Republican presidential candidates: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron...
Today's edition of quick hits: * New sanctions on Iran: "The European Union agreed Monday to impose a phased ban on oil purchases from Iran that officials said was needed...
After allowing the issue to raise some serious questions about his campaign, Mitt Romney told Fox News yesterday that he will release his 2010 tax return tomorrow, along with "an...
From a press release that landed in my inbox this afternoon: New polling from Americans Elect shows Americans evenly divided between voting for a Democrat, a Republican, and an independent-minded...
The details of the accounts vary a bit, but it appears Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) ran into a little trouble at a Nashville airport this morning. He went through security,...
The justices didn't exactly agree on the rationale, but all nine ended up in the right place. The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously ruled that the police violated the Constitution...
We can probably expect a pretty brutal campaign in Florida, with Mitt Romney needing a win to regain his footing, and Newt Gingrich needing a win to solidify his status...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), a year...
It's not too uncommon for states to launch initiatives intended to eliminate antiquated and unnecessary laws. Over the course of generations, officials and bureaucracies can approve all kinds of measures...
Even a casual glance at Mitt Romney's campaign pitch reveals a pretty straightforward message: he's a conservative businessman, not a traditional politician, who'll focus on jobs. As the race for...
If it seems as if Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) frequently struggles with the basics, it's because he does. Brown also took on President Barack Obama for proposing tax hikes on...
It was 39 years ago yesterday that the Supreme Court issued its Roe v. Wade ruling, and not surprisingly, every Jan. 22 since has been an occasion for both sides...
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared on "Fox News Sunday" yesterday and argued that President Obama's policies "have actually made our economy worse." Then he said it again. And again....
As of a couple of weeks ago, it looked as if House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was eager to avoid another fight over the payroll tax break. The issue had...
We covered a fair amount of ground over the weekend. Here's a quick overview of what you may have missed. On Sunday, we talked about: * Mitt Romney looks like...
Watching Mitt Romney discuss his willingness to disclose his tax returns, it's been hard not to marvel at the rapid evolution. It was only about a month ago when he...
With the South Carolina primary having come and gone, leaving us with a surprisingly competitive nomination fight, the stakes in Florida's Republican presidential primary have reached new heights. A Romney...
The exit polls out of South Carolina were pretty fascinating. Exit poll results found that nearly two-thirds of Republican primary voters called the debates important to their vote, and they...
Earlier this week, the race for the Republican nomination had one thing going for it: simplicity. Mitt Romney had already won Iowa and New Hampshire -- or so we thought...
The voting in South Carolina's Republican presidential primary will wrap up in about a half-hour, so it's time for another primary night open thread. I'll update this post a little...
Think about where Mitt Romney stood a week ago. He'd won the nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire; his national lead was large and getting larger; and he enjoyed...
Following up on an item from a few weeks ago, Emily Heil reported yesterday on the most "taboo topic" at the Republican presidential candidate debates. Viewers of the approximately 3...
At times, as far-right personalities go, Mike Huckabee doesn't necessarily come across like a bad guy. He tells charming stories; he frequently jokes around with Jon Stewart; and he even...
First up from the God Machine this week is a look at the recent track of the religious right movement and its spectacularly unsuccessful attempts to dictate the Republican presidential...
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary is obviously today, and will be followed by the Florida primary a week from Tuesday. In anticipation of the fourth nominating contest, there are...
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary has developed an unfortunate reputation for dirty tricks and ugly smear campaigns. The legend, alas, continues. Twelve years ago, John McCain, fresh off a...
I had a chance to talk about the race for the Republican presidential nomination with Ed Schultz last night on MSNBC's "The Ed Show." As an added treat, instead of...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Scariest thing I've seen in a long while: "2011 was the ninth-warmest year on Earth since 1880, according to NASA scientists, and this dramatic...
Brian McGrory reports this week on Sen. Scott Brown's (R-Mass.) new attack on Elizabeth Warren: she's apparently an "elitist hypocrite." [Brown] seems to be fuming that his main Democratic rival,...
Two weeks ago, I launched a new Friday afternoon feature, highlighting the most offensive Mitt Romney falsehoods of the week. Last Friday's installment was well received, so let's keep this...
In August, the Obama administration announced some very good news: thanks to the Affordable Care Act, and following the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, contraception...
The Democratic National Committee sent a press release to reporters last night with an interesting image: For those who can't quite make it out, there's a tropical beach on the...
The tech industry and free speech advocates have been desperately fighting to derail misguided efforts to combat online privacy, and have had extraordinary success just this week raising the visibility...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In South Carolina, Public Policy Polling...
This is a ruling that will have an important impact on House races later this year. The Supreme Court on Friday instructed a lower court in Texas to take a...
As the Republican presidential field shrinks to just four candidates, we're left with four experienced contenders, all of whom can fairly be characterized as political professionals. But only one of...
I generally don't invest too much energy in scrutinizing Ron Paul's comments during debates, but one of his claims last night struck me as bizarre, even for him. CNN's John...
About a month ago, Mitt Romney was asked whether he'd release his tax returns. He said, "I doubt it," adding, "I don't intend to." Eight days later, Romney said he'd...
The very first question in last night's debate was directed to Newt Gingrich, and it dealt with the gossip that had generated so much chatter throughout the day. CNN's John...
In Monday night's debate, Mitt Romney stumbled badly when asked if he'd release his tax returns. The obvious dissembling was painful to watch: "[Y]ou know, if that's been the tradition...
In about a half-hour, what's called the "CNN-Southern Republican Debate" will get underway in Charleston, the 16th GOP debate of the cycle. It will be the first debate with only...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Afghanistan: "More than two dozen people were killed in a four insurgent attacks in southern Afghanistan that began late Wednesday and continued through Thursday...
The pressure may be getting to Mitt Romney a little bit. A South Carolina protestor asked him this morning about his agenda for helping the 99%, and the former governor...
Reader M.G. flagged a line Mitt Romney used during Monday night's debate and asked whether the Republican frontrunner is telling the truth. Let's take a look at the Romney quote:...
A year ago, Public Policy Polling ran its annual "TV News Trust Poll." There were plenty of interesting tidbits, but there was one line from the pollster's analysis that stood...
Following up on an earlier item, as if there weren't enough questions involving taxes swirling around Mitt Romney, his offshore accounts make his tax returns that much more important. The...
One of the more clear-cut triumphs of President Obama's first three years has been the success of his auto-industry rescue. Republicans predicted it would fail miserably. They were wrong and...
It's a very busy day in the race for the Republican nomination. The results of the Iowa caucuses point towards a new winner; Rick Perry is out; Mitt Romney has...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * As expected, Rick Perry officially "suspended"...
The latest national New York Times/CBS News poll has plenty of interesting tidbits, but reader J.F. flags some numbers I'd overlooked. Way into the poll -- page 26, question 85...
As expected, President Obama's re-election campaign unveiled its first television ad of the year yesterday. There's been some chatter about whether it's too early for such a step, but I...
As if we needed another reason to question why Iowa is always allowed to go first, it turns out Republicans in the Hawkeye State didn't quite get the results of...
In September, Rick Perry entered the Republican presidential race to significant fanfare. Finally, conservatives thought, they had a credible alternative they could trust, and who could save the party from...
The general trend on initial unemployment claims over the last two months has been largely encouraging, though there have been setbacks. Last week, for example, was a step in the...
With Mitt Romney still refusing to release his tax returns, we can only speculate as to why he's so afraid of disclosure. The widely held assumption has been that the...
Today's edition of quick hits: * The International Monetary Fund is "seeking to boost its war chest by $600 billion to help countries reeling from the crisis, even though some...
Reader J.J. passes along an interesting tidbit from Gloria Borger's latest column for CNN: Imagine my surprise when, in the CNN/ORC International Poll out last week, Republicans rated Romney as...
There would appear to be a contradiction in the polls. On the one hand, Americans continue to be deeply unsatisfied with the state of the economy. On the other, President...
In the wake of his concession yesterday that he pays a lower tax rate than much of the American middle class, Mitt Romney has renewed discussion about his "15% problem."...
The Keystone XL oil pipeline has become a major source of partisan wrangling. The project would stretch from Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas, posing major...
Presidential campaigns hardly ever release internal polling, so from the outside, we don't know if the candidates are getting encouraging or discouraging news from their pollsters. But when it comes...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * The 2012 presidential election is still...
Support for child-labor laws was taken as a given for much of the 20th century. The fact that this seems to be changing is getting kind of creepy. Marie Diamond...
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has arguably been Mitt Romney's most trusted and highest-profile campaign surrogate. Talk of Christie possibly serving as the Republican frontrunner's running mate has been...
During Monday night's debate in South Carolina, Rick Perry argued that Turkey "is being ruled by, what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists." The argument is ridiculous -- Turkey...
Opponents of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) were expected to do well in their efforts to recall him. Few expected them to do this well. Democrats seeking to recall Gov....
When compared against his Republican rivals, Mitt Romney is extremely slick. After nearly 18 years as a politician, and more than five years as a near-constant presidential candidate, the former...
The tech industry and free speech advocates have been desperately trying to generate interest in their fight against misguided efforts to combat online privacy. As of this morning, their efforts...
Today's edition of quick hits: * The more ambitious, the better: "The Obama administration has signaled to allies that it will take a more aggressive role this year in protecting...
Rick Santorum's presidential campaign released a new television ad overnight, which has caused a bit of a stir in Republican circles. Here's the 30-second spot, which will begin airing in...
We've gotten a fairly good look at the kind of policy agenda Mitt Romney will pursue if elected. It's not terribly ambitious -- certainly nothing on par with "saving the...
The conservative Washington Times published an interesting analysis this week, concluding that this Congress has "set a record for legislative futility by accomplishing less in 2011 than any other year...
Consider a thought experiment. Imagine you could go back to March 1, 2009, when the global economy is on the brink of collapse. The White House's Recovery Act had just...
The political significance of Mitt Romney's hidden tax returns almost certainly has to do with his tax rates. The Republican frontrunner has been reluctant to admit he pays much lower...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In national polls, the new ABC...
When it comes to extending unemployment benefits, congressional Republicans have become increasingly aggressive in demanding a series of "reforms." GOP officials are eyeing a new system that would cut eligibility,...
Mitt Romney's private-equity firm never tried to create jobs; it simply wasn't the point of Bain Capital's work. The goal was to generate wealth for Romney's investors, not create jobs....
Most pundits seem to agree that Newt Gingrich was the winner of last night's debate on Fox News, and he was certainly the only candidate on the stage to get...
In all likelihood, we won't have Texas Gov. Rick Perry to kick around much longer. The one-time frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination is now in last place in the...
It's hard not to marvel at just how dishonest Mitt Romney is prepared to be in order to win. The notion of politicians misleading the public to advance their ambitions...
Mitt Romney tends to shine in Republican presidential debates in large part because he generally seems prepared. Putting aside whether his answers are truthful or sensible, the former governor's answers...
In about an hour or so, the six remaining Republican presidential candidates will take the stage in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for yet another debate, this one on Fox News....
Today's edition of quick hits: * Escalating crisis in Yemen: "Al-Qaida militants seized full control of a town south of the Yemeni capital on Monday, overrunning army positions, storming the...
Republican consultant/pundit Mike Murphy got in an interesting dig this morning at the conventional wisdom surrounding Mitt Romney. In particular, Murphy noted a Fox News poll showing Romney leading the...
The Romney campaign released an odd memo over the weekend, which was largely forgettable, except for the conclusion, which stood out for me. When Barack Obama ran for the presidency,...
It seemed like a fairly significant deal over the weekend when over 100 prominent and influential evangelical leaders -- all significant players in the religious right movement -- held an...
As expected, Jon Huntsman left the race for the Republican presidential nomination this morning, but as he "suspended" his campaign, the former governor took some time to decry candidate "attacks."...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Apparently one Super PAC isn't quite...
The disgraced former House Speaker sure does say strange things. Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich suggested at a Fox News forum hosted by Mike Huckabee in South Carolina on Saturday...
In his latest column, CNBC's Larry Kudlow equates the United States with "U.S. Government Inc." As he sees it, this "company" is facing "bankruptcy," and needs a private-equity firm to...
On "Fox News Sunday," Chris Wallace pressed Rick Santorum on his plan to triple the federal tax credit for children, in the hopes that Americans will have more babies. The...
It's disconcerting to think Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll (R) might actually believe her own rhetoric. "On Monday, we're going to be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and I...
There was an interesting exchange on CNN's "State of the Union" yesterday, when Candy Crowley pressed David Axelrod on one of Mitt Romney's favorite talking points. To establish the context,...
It was only a matter of time. Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor and Obama administration official, has probably known for a long while that he would not be the...
We covered a fair amount of ground over the weekend. Here's a quick overview of what you may have missed. On Sunday, we talked about: * The religious right has...
Prominent religious right groups and leaders have known all along they don't want to see Mitt Romney get the Republican presidential nomination. They have not, however, coalesced around an alternative...
Me, in August: "'Corporations are people'? In this little figure of speech, wouldn't that make Mitt Romney a metaphorical serial killer?" The new ad from Stephen Colbert's Super PAC: "As...
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I wanted to follow up briefly on John Bolton's shot, on Mitt Romney's behalf, against President Obama's counter-terrorism record. Specifically, the right-wing...
Delivering his victory speech in New Hampshire this week, Mitt Romney used three words three times: "jobs," "economy," and "Europe." One of those things is not like the other. Keep...
Misguided efforts to combat online privacy have been threatening to stifle innovation, suppress free speech, and even, in some cases, undermine national security. As of yesterday, though, there's a lot...
Mitt Romney was on the campaign trail in South Carolina yesterday, and brought up the issue he expects to ride into the White House: the U.S. economy. Unfortunately for the...
As a matter of policy and politics, John Bolton isn't making any sense. (thanks to reader V.S. for the tip) Speaking before a crowd of veterans in Hilton Head, SC...
NBC News reported yesterday that Mitt Romney made a "slight tweak to his usual campaign message" during an appearance in South Carolina yesterday. Traditionally on the stump and in debates,...
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had a little fun at the GOP leadership's expense this week, mocking the Speaker and Majority Leader for their recent globetrotting. As Dems see it,...
A couple of years ago, Republican policymakers in Arizona thought they'd come up with a clever idea: they'd put the state capitol up for sale. Seriously. For GOP officials, it...
First up from the God Machine this week is an important Supreme Court ruling on employment discrimination and a "ministerial exception." In what may be its most significant religious liberty...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Eurozone: "Standard & Poor's Corp. on Friday stripped France of its sterling credit rating, cut Portugal's credit to junk status and downgraded Italy's debt...
Paul Krugman noted this morning that Mitt Romney tells so many falsehoods so often, he seems determined to rehabilitate George W. Bush's reputation "by running a campaign so dishonest that...
Suzy Khimm offers a great example of budget cuts costing, not saving, us money. The Internal Revenue Service got hit with a 2.5 percent budget cut for 2012, paring back...
As the White House explained this morning, there are currently six major federal departments or agencies that focus on business and/or trade: the U.S. Department of Commerce's core business and...
There is a school of thought, recently articulated by Nicholas Kristof among others, that says a vote for Mitt Romney may be a vote for the moderate agenda he's forcefully...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * The "King of Bain" video put...
My prediction about the failure of a year-long payroll tax-cut deal isn't looking so good. On the contrary, it's looking increasingly likely that an agreement should come together well ahead...
Mitt Romney has a new ad out this morning, which, in addition to moving the job-creation goal posts, defends the candidate's private-sector business practices at Bain Capital. Hoping to bolster...
While some would have us limit all discussions of income inequality to "quiet rooms," I'm relieved to see that President Obama's economic team feels differently. What Mitt Romney a few...
Everyone has probably heard the corny "I once caught a fish this big" joke. A guy boasts about the size of the fish he reeled in, but when pressed, he...
I can appreciate that staff work on Capitol Hill is not always fast-paced and exciting, but when Republican aides are passing the time with wildfire office pools, there's a problem....
The short film put together by Newt Gingrich's Super PAC is proving to be one of the bigger political stories of the week, but a new video from the Gingrich...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Deplorable: "A video showing four United States Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban fighters provoked anger and condemnation on Thursday in...
When President Obama announced his recess appointments last week, Republicans were not only outraged by the White House's move on political grounds, they also argued that the appointments were in...
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), despite his apparent distaste for Mitt Romney, has become one of the former governor's more forceful campaign surrogates. Today, the senator tackled Romney's record of mass...
Arthur Brisbane, Public Editor of the New York Times, has a piece today asking, "Should The Times Be a Truth Vigilante?" The piece is generating some spirited discussion, so I...
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) appeared on MSNBC this morning, and spoke briefly about his perspective on the nature of compromise. "[S]aying to compromise now, and I use this analogy a...
A certain former half-term governor of Alaska weighed in on Mitt Romney's business background, telling Fox News last night that Romney (1) should offer "proof" of his dubious job-creation boasts;...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In a fairly impressive display, President...
In Colombia, for much of the last decade, Alvaro Uribe had considerable success combating a narco-insurgency. U.S. officials were impressed enough to try to export the Uribe model to other...
Some of Mitt Romney's Republican rivals, most notably Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, have invested quite a bit of energy lately in going after the former governor's private-sector background. Very...
Much of the right, including the chairman of the Republican National Committee, threw quite a fit yesterday over comments about civility made by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of...
The general trend on initial unemployment claims over the last month has been very encouraging. This week's report, however, was bad enough to send a ripple of fear among those...
Dave Weigel made a very clever observation yesterday, noting the striking similarities between the 2008 and 2012 races for the Republican nomination. I'm thinking of a Republican primary. It starts...
We're apparently not supposed to talk about this outside of "quiet rooms," but more and more Americans are taking note of the tensions between the haves and the have nots....
We knew the short film from Newt Gingrich's Super PAC, targeting Mitt Romney's private-sector work, was on the way. We didn't know just how devastating it would be. Probably the...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Iran: "A bomber on a motorcycle killed a scientist from Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment site and his bodyguard-driver on Wednesday during the morning commute...
The New York Times had a terrific editorial today, taking a big-picture view of the race for the Republican presidential nomination and the "journey into the dingy, cramped quarters of...
On NBC this morning, Matt Lauer asked Mitt Romney whether Americans with "questions about the distribution of wealth and power in this country" are necessarily motivated by, in the Republican's...
Ben Smith makes the case today that Mitt Romney is a much stronger presidential candidate than many give him credit for. As Smith sees it, the former governor is "the...
As recently as five months ago, Mitt Romney boasted about having created "tens of thousands of jobs" at his vulture-capital fund. "When I was at Bain Capital, we invested in...
In 1995, a group of men burst into a New Orleans home in search of money and drugs. They ordered those inside to lie down and then opened fire, killing...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Mitt Romney's campaign raised an impressive...
We've all heard politicians boast that American workers are the most productive workers in the world. It's worth pausing to consider whether that's true or not. Michael Mandel tackles the...
After watching Mitt Romney's speech in New Hampshire last night, I went back and watched Barack Obama's speech in New Hampshire, delivered almost exactly four years ago. The contrast told...
Congressional Republicans are still quite outraged by President Obama's recess appointments last week, and plan to take up a resolution criticizing the move -- just as soon as they return...
Ezra Klein makes the case this morning that in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, "moderation is winning." Which is not to say Romney's plans make him a moderate....
Last week, underwhelming Republican turnout in the Iowa caucuses fell short of expectations and hinted at a listless, uninspired party. Yesterday in New Hampshire, it happened again. Going into the...
Mitt Romney's victory in New Hampshire wasn't quite as big as expected, but it didn't matter. The former governor, who led a neighboring state and lives much of the year...
The results in New Hampshire are already starting to trickle in, so it's time for a primary night open thread. I'll update this post with results and noteworthy developments as...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Assad reduced to conspiracy theories: "In his first public address in months, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria lashed out on Tuesday at the Arab...
Mitt Romney clearly wishes he could take back the line, "I like being able to fire people," but since that's not an option, it's up to him, his campaign, and...
Looking back over the last several months, nothing has caused as much trouble to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign as C-SPAN archives. Eagle-eyed researchers have relied on these archived clips to...
The New York Times's Andrew Rosenthal checked in yesterday with a report on the latest Mitt Romney/Chris Christie event in New Hampshire. A line from the end of the report...
Mitt Romney has run into quite a bit of scrutiny lately, most notably about his background as it relates to jobs. He said there have been times he worried about...
A few weeks ago, PolitiFact made a serious mistake in selecting its "Lie of the Year." As the editors of the political fact-checking website saw it, Democratic claims that House...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Voting got underway this morning in...
Igor Volsky flagged a great piece from Nancy French, who reported the other day that Rick Santorum supported an individual health care mandate when he ran for the Senate in...
Take a guess who said this yesterday: "Voters are just now meeting the Real Romney -- the buyout tycoon who executed takeovers, bankrupted businesses, and sent jobs overseas while killing...
When we last left the fight over the payroll-tax-break extension, House Republicans had caved and agreed to pass a two-month extension. It was a heartening victory for Democrats, and a...
A variety of conservative media outlets, including Fox News, the New York Post, and the Daily Caller, are worked up this week about a newly-discovered White House outrage: a 2009...
Reader F.B. flagged an interesting exchange on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" yesterday in which Joe Scarborough passed along assessments of the Republican presidential field from veteran political journalists. Here's the clip:...
When Mitt Romney talked to the Nashua Chamber of Commerce yesterday morning about his take on premium support in health care policy, he couldn't possibly have known the mess he...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Europe: "Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France warned Greece on Monday that it needed to move forward with promised...
Mitt Romney's campaign critics -- Democrats and Republicans, alike -- have had quite a bit of fun today with his "I like being able to fire people" quote. By any...
I don't find much to like about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). Political reporters tend to adore the guy -- I guess for some, the "loveable loudmouth" is an...
Bill Daley's tenure as White House chief of staff has proven to be more difficult than administration insiders had expected. When he was brought in, Daley, a former Commerce Secretary...
Mitt Romney tends to run into trouble when he tries to relate to Americans who are struggling. There was that time over the summer, for example, that he joked about...
Gallup has a new report out this morning on how Americans identify themselves when it comes to political party. The results are generating a fair amount of interest, but I'd...
Mitt Romney's detractors in both parties are eager to point out one of the more glaring problems with the former governor's background: he's put thousands of Americans out of work....
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * There have been all kinds of...
I suspect a whole lot of American voters have grown cynical and are no longer inclined to take campaign promises seriously. There's very likely an assumption that politicians will say...
It took a while, but Bain Capital and its victims are finally starting to become a central issue of the presidential campaign. Newt Gingrich's Super PAC, an outfit called Winning...
Ordinarily, I wouldn't much care who Gary Bauer endorses for president, but there's a relevant backstory to this. Bauer, for those unfamiliar with the name, is a prominent religious right...
Brenda Buttner, a senior business correspondent at Fox News, reflected yesterday on the latest jobs report, and made a curious comment when asked about which areas of the economy aren't...
There are quite a few elements to Jon Huntsman's background and ideology that contribute to his struggling campaign, but his service in the Obama administration is probably near the top...
Newt Gingrich's status in the Republican presidential campaign went from "frontrunner" to "barely hanging on" over the course of about two weeks. There's no great mystery as to why: $4...
We covered a fair amount of ground over the weekend. Here's a quick overview of what you may have missed. On Sunday, we talked about: * When it comes to...
In last night's debate, Mitt Romney made a new boast about his record on job creation at Bain Capital. "[I]n the business I had, we invested in over 100 different...
Jon Huntsman appears to be coming to terms with the fact that he won't be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. Ordinarily, competitive candidates who still expect to win wouldn't...
About 10 hours after last night's debate, the six Republican presidential candidates met again this morning for another debate, this time sponsored by NBC and Facebook. This one was far...
One of the more noteworthy exchanges in last night's debate came about mid-way through the event, when ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked Mitt Romney about, of all things, contraception. The question...
Rick Santorum was asked last night about the 1,800 same-sex couples who are married in New Hampshire, and what would happen to them if he succeeds in adding an anti-gay...
Before every recent debate for the Republican presidential candidates, I think to myself, "OK, this will finally be the one in which the GOP field goes after Mitt Romney." And...
In about 15 minutes, the remaining Republican presidential candidates will In about an hour or so, the six remaining Republican presidential candidates will take the stage at St. Anselm's College...
When it comes to the Democratic strategy against Mitt Romney in 2012, the party has a few themes to choose from. The first is that Romney is a far-right ideologue...
Rick Santorum argued earlier this week, with a straight face, that President Obama has "sided with our enemies." The same day, Santorum also accused the president of engaging in "absolutely...
We talked yesterday about Mitt Romney's Bain Capital and the millions it made while crushing a Missouri steel company called GS Technologies. Reuters called the fiasco the "steel skeleton in...
For quite a while, Bill Kristol, The Weekly Standard editor and leading Republican voice, has been pining for new entrants into the Republican presidential field. But this week, the GOP...
First up from the God Machine this week is a word from on high as to who will win the 2012 presidential election. Most of us will have to rely...
Four years ago, John McCain ran into a little trouble when he owned so many homes, he forgot exactly how many and had to check with his staff. Mitt Romney...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Amazing rescue: "In the middle of a tense standoff between Iran and the United States, the crew of an American destroyer patrolling the North...
For the most part, Republicans responded to the good jobs report this morning with quiet bemusement. They don't want to say it's encouraging, because Republicans don't want to give the...
After catching Mitt Romney repeating another obvious falsehood, Greg Sargent noted this afternoon, "I know this risks getting boring and predictable, but we really should document them all." That's a...
A year ago, congressional Republicans were an exuberant bunch. Riding high after massive midterm gains, and with President Obama's approval ratings faltering, GOP leaders and rank-and-file members felt very good...
Congressional Republicans hoped pro-forma sessions every third day on Capitol Hill would prevent President Obama from making recess appointments. It didn't -- the president decided these sessions were a sham...
It's a familiar story: Mitt Romney's Bain Capital takes over a company, the company is ruined, and Romney and his investors make millions. But few of these stories look worse...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Who won the Iowa caucuses? Probably...
There was a bizarre scene on the House floor a couple of weeks ago, when Democratic lawmakers tried to bring up a bill, and House Republicans simply shut down the...
For thousands of American families, this reform will have a tremendous impact. Obama administration officials announced on Friday that they will propose a fix to a notorious snag in immigration...
Reading the new jobs report, I was reminded of something Dick Morris wrote over the summer. In August, the economy lost 30,000 healthcare jobs.... So why are jobs down? It...
In the previous post, we talked about the new monthly jobs report, but in keeping with tradition, here's a slightly different chart -- one showing just the private sector job...
Mitt Romney will probably find today's jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics very discouraging. The rest of us, though, have reason to smile. The U.S. economy gained 200,000...
Back in August, Mitt Romney made a deliberate effort to appear moderate on taxes. "I don't want to waste time trying to get tax cuts for wealthy people because frankly,...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Deadly violence in Iraq: "A suicide bomber blew himself up next to a large group of Shiite Muslims on a pilgrimage Thursday, one in...
Now that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a director, it can get to work on some long-overdue priorities. For America's middle class, that's terrific news. The new director of...
John McCain talked to Chuck Todd this morning, and acknowledged his party's "problems" with a certain constituency. (via Jenee Desmond-Harris) Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about...
George Will has struggled for quite some time when dealing with climate policy, but his latest piece, arguing that global warming is part of an elaborate collectivist plot, is really...
Nicholas Kristof presents an argument today that I've heard before, but which I struggle to understand. As the NYT columnist sees it, Mitt Romney was a "moderate and pragmatic governor,"...
It has quickly become a standard talking point for Mitt Romney: during his tenure at Bain Capital, he created "over 100,000 new jobs." Campaign officials have been reluctant to back...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Though it certainly looked as if...
It's far too soon to say with any confidence who'll win the 2012 presidential election, but it's hardly unreasonable to believe a Republican victory is a distinct possibility. But while...
When it comes to Mitt Romney's background at Bain Capital, we tend to think about the layoffs in the abstract. Romney orchestrated leveraged buyouts, flipping companies quickly for large profits,...
If you were in Washington in the 1990s, you may recall that the left spent a considerable amount of time and energy focused on intellectual infrastructure. Progressives looked at the...
Last week, Mitt Romney relied on a standard conservative talking point to make a point about the budget: he's eyeing changes to public television. "I like PBS," the Republican said....
Last week's report on initial unemployment claims was far less encouraging, but the general trend in an encouraging direction continued this week. The number of Americans who filed requests for...
Republicans were not at all pleased yesterday when President Obama used a recess appointment to make Richard Cordray the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But as Felicia Sonmez...
Today's edition of quick hits: * EU vs. Iran: "The countries of the European Union have agreed in principle to impose an embargo on Iranian oil, but there are many...
As we talked about earlier, John McCain probably didn't want to endorse Mitt Romney today, but he did. Was this largely a matter of party loyalty and the Republican establishment...
President Obama raised quite a few eyebrows this morning when the White House announced a recess appointment for Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It was an...
As had been expected, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) threw his support to Mitt Romney at a campaign event in New Hampshire today, the latest evidence that the Republican establishment is...
For Republicans hoping to deny Mitt Romney the party's presidential nomination, the problem has never been their numbers. The former governor has consistently run into a modest ceiling precisely because...
President Obama, to the delight of progressives everywhere, will appoint Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through a recess appointment. Congressional Republicans are predictably apoplectic. Here's a statement...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * In case you missed it, Michele...
So long, Michele, we knew you all too well. Rep. Michele Bachmann is suspending her presidential campaign, said a senior Republican official with direct knowledge of the lawmaker's plans. The...
This is a big, bold move by the president, and I couldn't be more pleased. In a defiant display of executive power, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will buck GOP...
When I wrapped up last night (technically, this morning), I said President Obama was the big winner from Iowa's Republican caucuses. A few readers asked what I meant by that,...
This was supposed to be a big year for Republican voter turnout in Iowa. With GOP voters reportedly eager as part of their crusade against President Obama, and with six...
The ideal scenario for Mitt Romney in Iowa wasn't just a victory -- he also wanted the other candidates to do just well enough to stick around for a long...
It was easy to imagine Mitt Romney winning the Iowa caucuses. It was harder to imagine Romney winning Iowa and looking weaker at the same time. And yet, that seems...
In about 15 minutes, roughly 150,000 Republicans in Iowa will gather for the 2012 Republican presidential caucuses. I'll update this post with results as they're available, but in the meantime,...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Good economic news on construction spending and manufacturing activity. * Warnings from Iran: "Iran's army chief on Tuesday warned a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier...
I have a hunch as the campaign progresses, we'll be hearing this quote again. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy For those who can't...
Jennifer Rubin today reflects on President Obama's re-election strategy, and argues he'll struggle to point to meaningful accomplishments, especially from his first two years in office. Recall that Obama had...
The Washington Post's Charles Lane has a piece today arguing that the recent poll numbers are "gloomy" for President Obama. Campaign 2012 is upon us. Time to size up President...
Mitt Romney addressed one of his biggest vulnerabilities -- jobs policy -- on Fox News this morning, and made a series of claims his campaign seems awfully excited about: "This...
There's no great mystery as to why Newt Gingrich's support collapsed in Iowa: Mitt Romney and his friends spent nearly $4 million in three weeks to tear Gingrich apart. But...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Newt Gingrich said yesterday of his...
Bill Clinton left the White House in January 2001, and in the 2004 race, Democratic candidates were tripping over each other to connect themselves to the nation's 42nd president. I...
John McDonough has a good piece on an overlooked benefit from the Affordable Care Act: it's doing quite well in combating fraud and abuse, which in turns saves Americans quite...
The NYT has a good piece today on the extent to which Republicans used to support high-speed rail, and the fact that GOP presidential hopefuls like Newt Gingrich and Rick...
For the last several weeks, Newt Gingrich has gone out of his way to keep a positive message, making it a staple of his campaign strategy. It didn't work --...
Four years ago at this time, Mitt Romney was condemning John McCain for inviting corporate lobbyists to help run the senator's presidential campaign. Now, Romney has begun taking strategic advice...
The focus of the domestic political world will obviously be on Iowa today, and the awaited caucuses will get underway in about 12 hours. Following up on an item Ed...
Today's edition of quick hits: * Apparent hate crimes in NYC: "A wave of arson attacks spread across eastern Queens on Sunday night, and the police said the firebombings were...
Byron York had an interesting report the other day on the process Mitt Romney went through before running for the Senate. He noted, for example, that the Massachusetts Republican traveled...
We talked earlier about a fascinating exchange during last night's "60 Minutes" on CBS, when Lesley Stahl noted that Reagan raised taxes and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's press secretary...
As regular readers may know, I place very little stock in Rasmussen polls, but given yesterday's discussion about whether we're seeing the worst Congress in American history, I found this...
Campaigning in Iowa today, Mitt Romney took a relatively new tack in going after President Obama, characterizing the president as having promised to be a savior to the entire planet....
As part of an aggressive Republican "war on voting," GOP policymakers in much of the country are putting new hurdles between Americans and their election process. The most common --...
Over the weekend, Rick Santorum told an Iowa audience, "Diversity creates conflict. If we celebrate diversity, we create conflict." It seemed like an odd thing for a presidential candidate to...
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * As the Republican race in Iowa...
As Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann sees it, the key to turning around her collapsing campaign is talking up a military confrontation with Iran. The Minnesota lawmaker, who is courting...
Every year, tens of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants graduate from American high schools, but are quickly stuck -- they can't qualify for college aid, and they can't work legally....
The Iowa caucuses are, of course, just a day away, and for campaign junkies following the contest, the polls can't come quickly enough. But because the race is changing so...
During Mitt Romney's Senate campaign 17 years ago, the Republican politician was faring quite well against Ted Kennedy, right up until voters started hearing from some of Romney's victims. To...
CBS's "60 Minutes" ran a good profile on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) last night, but there was one portion of the interview that was especially important. In this...
Over the weekend, it became clear that Rick Santorum, after months of having been largely ignored, is on track for a top-three finish in the Iowa caucuses. By some measures,...
We covered a fair amount of ground over the weekend. Here's a quick overview of what you may have missed. On Sunday, we talked about: * President Obama intends to...
The NYT reports today that President Obama, looking ahead to the November elections, is planning "to step up his offensive against an unpopular Congress, concluding that he cannot pass any...
Zeke Miller has a piece this morning arguing that Rick Santorum may excel in the Iowa caucuses, but given the campaign's message, he'll likely struggle to compete just about everywhere...
As expected, President Obama yesterday signed the Defense Authorization bill that largely funds the military. And as expected, this year's NDAA came with a signing statement. President Obama ... said...
Kevin Drum flagged a Newt Gingrich quote yesterday that's almost hard to believe. In fact, I watched the video just to make sure the Republican wasn't misquoted in the print...
It's never a good sign when a presidential campaign's insiders begin dishing dirt on their colleagues before voters start expressing their preferences. Take Rick Perry's team, for example. Four months...
We talked last night about the sought after results of the Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll, which, not surprisingly, continue to show a competitive contest. Let's briefly revisit where things...